Here are the posted details:
Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center
Beautification Day Project
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
1200 Morse Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
Please come join DPR, ANC5B and your neighbors at the Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center Beautification Day Project.
WE NEED YOU: Volunteers are need to help paint the facility and improve its landscape. Additionally, this is an opportunity for the community learn more about the programs at the Joe Cole Rec Center and to help shape the programming at the Rec Center by taking a short survey.
WE NEED RESOURCES: If you would like to donate supplies to this effort please contact, Joe Cole Site Manager, Simmeon Williams at 202-724-4876.
11 comments:
Why isn't the city providing the staff, and equipment for Joe Cole and all of the other recreation centers? It would seem to be a no-brainer that it's much cheaper to pay staff, and buy a basketball, bucket of paint and plants than pay for a lifetime of room and board in the city jail system. Maybe they could sell those baseball tickets to pay for extra staff this summer.
What is the timeline for the Joe Cole Rec being demolished? I heard it was 18 months or so before the current building is gone and new landscaping is there. Is that true?
On 1/13/2009,the Washington Police Foundation gave $50,000 in office and recreation equpment to Joe Cole and the Trinidad Rec centers. Did they actuall get it?
Why do you all come out, pick up a paint brush and do some work and talk to the Staff, ANC, FOJC, and the Councilman. You'll get your answers, and more importantly you will also be helping out
So much for the transparency of managing of DPR recreation centers. The no nothing, see nothing, just do what I say Robbies of the city have ruled this city into the ground. This advice comes from a guy who can't be bothered to go to a H street business because it isn't up to snuff.
By the way, Evelyn Lightfoot says the Rec centers can have all of the equipment that want. The Rec manager just needs to order it. She say DPR doesn't want to store it in a warehouse.
Robby's just a resident, not a DPR employee, or representative (so I fail to see how he is affecting transparency at DPR). He was inviting people out to help in a beautification and community building event organized by local ANC Tina Laskaris. Why is that a problem?
Not everything at DPR, or within the individual recs runs as smoothly as it ought. Robby isn't withhoulding any info, or telling people what they have to do. But if you had come out for the event you could have actually talked to the staff, and the neighbors who are most impacted by Joe Cole.
Plus, Robby and others worked at the site for up to 7 hours yesterday. Maybe it would be nice to appreciate that, rather than just sit in front of a computer and complain about it (even to the extent of accusing the volunteers of "ruling this city into the ground").
Currently the city is planning to tear down Joe Cole in 18 months and put up a new rec center nearby (not the exact site where the current building stands). However, this isn't actually in the budget, so many people expect that Joe Cole may stick around longer than 18 months (the community has asked them not to tear down Joe Cole until something else is up and running). Beyond that, we only did landscaping in the front treeboxes (which would likely not be affected by the construction). Another point is that often when the city, or another group does plantings they use annuals, which wouldn't last 14 months anyway. We used a mix of annuals and perennials.
hmmmm. You are very kind to defend Robbie, maybe he will return the respect to you someday.
I never assumed that Robbie was an employee. I was reacting to his message of shut up and just pick up a paint brush. This city puts a huge amount of $$$ into DPR. The money goes somewhere. If they need more, lets make sure that the Mayor and City Council gives it to them. Citizens need to hold the city accountable.
Anon 3:42,
I don't think his intention was to tell anyone to shut up (tone is hard to read on the internet). I know him well, and I think he just meant to encourage people to come out and volunteer (BTW, as an officer in a neighborhood group he gets a million calls and emails from people wanting help, but very few offering [and actually turning out] to help).
I can say from personal experience, that it is tough when you are a volunteer just getting lots of questions, but not as many people actually coming out to help. I appreciate that you did not respond in an angry manner (like I said, there isn't much context on the internet, and that can lead to problems).
Anon 3:42,
the neighborhood group is trying to work with DPr, and the neighborhood recs, but it takes time, so there have been some direct donations (individual basis) of goods. One of the things the neighborhood group has been doing is helping to set up an official Friends of Joe Cole group. This group (by virtue of being official) would be not only able to raise funds on behalf of the group, but also would be consulted by the city about future changes at the Rec. So the ultimate goal is to get citizens involved, and to engage DPR, and other aspects of DC Gov, on very real and organized level.
I meant raise funds on behalf of the Rec.
I also should have mentions that the event had other sponsors (including): DPR, Councilman Harry Thomas Jr.'s Office, ANC5B, and the Friends of Joe Cole Committee of the Trinidad Neighborhood Association. The Ivy-City Trinidad Garden Club was also involved.
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